Public Policy and Political Economy Course Descriptions

POEC 5300 Analytical Methods for the Study of Public Policy (3 semester
hours) Introduces students to the use of quantitative analytical tools for the
study of economics and public policy. (3-0) Y POEC 5302 Law and The Policy Process (3 semester hours) Provides the
legal perspective on public policy and emphasizes the judicial systemís role in
the recent evolution of public policy in selected problem areas. Same as PA
5302 (3-0) T POEC 5303 Public Policymaking and Institutions (3 semester hours)
Surveys the major institutions associated with policymaking, including
Congress, the Presidency, the bureaucracy, and interest groups. These
institutions are studied by linking them to the decision-making theories of
organizations, social choice and incrementalism. Same
as PA 5303 and PSCI 5303. (3-0) Y POEC 5305 Microeconomics for Policy I (3 semester hours) Develops the
tools of economic analysis and demonstrates their uses for decision making and
the evaluation of public policies.† ECO
3310, POEC 5300, or equivalent recommended. Same as PA 5305. (3-0) Y POEC 5306 Macroeconomic Theory and Policy (3 semester hours) Studies
various schools of macroeconomic theory, their political and economic
implications and the policies that flow from them. Discusses the design and
implementation of policies related to inflation, unemployment, business
fluctuations and long-term economic growth. Same as PA 5306 (3-0) Y POEC 5307 Economics for Public Policy (3 semester hours) Economics for
Public Policy is a doctoral level course designed to introduce students to the
use of economic methods of the analysis of public policy. While the primary
theoretical framework for the course is microeconomics, the course also
includes macroeconomics. A variety of public policy topics are covered in the
course such as education and education reform, employment and the labor market,
taxes and redistribution, health and health care, poverty and inequality, and
public assistance programs. A central theme in the course is the role of the
government. Same as PA 5307. (3-0) Y POEC 5308 Ethics, Culture and Public Responsibility (3 semester hours)
This course provides a general consideration of traditions of ethical thought,
the interactions between personal behavior and cultural groups/norms, and the
implementation of public responsibility. Topics to be considered shall include
tensions between personal and collective goals, the nature and limits of
tolerance, and the role of institutions such as the family, government,
business, churches and interest groups. Same as PA 5308. (3-0) Y POEC 5310 Research Design I (3 semester hours) This course is the first
in a two-course sequence devoted to the research enterprise and the study of
data development strategies and techniques to facilitate effective statistical
analysis. Topics generally covered include: (1) issues and techniques in social
science research with emphasis on philosophy of science, theory testing, and
hypothesis formulation; (2) measurement and data collection strategies,
reliability and validity of measures and results, sampling, surveys; and (3)
examination of qualitative versus quantitative research techniques, working
with observational data, field research issues, and triangulation. (3-0) Y POEC 5313 Descriptive and Inferential Statistics for the Economic, Political and Policy Sciences
(3 semester hours) This course is an introduction to data analysis, statistics,
and regression. The only prerequisite is a sound foundation in algebra. The
heart of the course is a rigorous introduction to statistical inference:
sampling theory, confidence intervals, and hypothesis tests. The final section
of the course covers regression analysis, which is developed in a fairly
non-technical way, with an emphasis on interpretation of regression results,
using examples from recent research.†
SOCS 3305 or equivalent recommended. Same as PA 5313. (3-0) Y POEC 5316 Advanced Regression Analysis for the Economic, Political and Policy Sciences (3
semester hours) This course provides a detailed examination of the bivariate and multiple regression models estimated using
Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), with an emphasis on using regression models to
test social and economic hypotheses. Also covered are several special topics in
regression analysis, including violations of OLS assumptions, the use of dummy
variables, fixed effects models, and path analysis. Applications are
demonstrated with examples drawn from economics, political science, public
policy and sociology.† POEC 5313 or
equivalent recommended. (3-0) Y POEC 5317 Computer Techniques in Policy Analysis (3 semester hours)
General introduction to computing concepts for policy analysis. Topics covered
include algorithms and data structures, object orientation, statistical
computing, data base principles, Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and
internet computing. Heavy emphasis on developing hands-on skills in rapid
application development environments such as Visual Basic or Java. (3-0) T POEC 5319 Special Topics in Political Economy (3 semester hours) Topics
vary from semester to semester. (May be repeated for credit to a maximum of 9
hours.) (3-0) Y POEC 5325 Managing Complexity (3 semester hours) Explores the multiple
administrative challenges to the evolution of complexity across global,
national and organizational systems. Provides practical means for meeting the
growing dilemmas and prospects of managing in complex environments. (3-0) T POEC 5370 Proseminar in Institutions and Processes
(3 semester hours) Formal and informal relationships between markets and
politics that define and sustain different kinds of regimes or political
economies at the national and sub-national levels. Problems of collective
action; the role of constitutions and rules in assigning private rights and
public roles; the nature and basis of regime legitimacy; open or competitive
vs. oligopolistic models; and the behavior of
institutions and organizations developed to serve or influence the regime.
(3-0) Y POEC 5371 Non-Profit Organizations (3 semester hours) This course
examines issues related to the rise, scope, development and impact of
non-profit organizations. The course explores both the unique missions of
non-profit organizations and the management challenges posed by this expanding
sector of the organizational environment. Same as SOC 5371. (3-0) T POEC 5372 Non-Profit Management and Leadership (3 semester hours) This
course examines issues, strategies and techniques related to leadership and
management in non-profit organizations. Same as SOC 5372 (3-0) R POEC 6300 Crime, Criminals & Societal Responses (3 semester hours)
Introduces students to graduate study in criminology. Students learn to examine
critically theoretical, methodological and policy issues in criminology and
criminal justice. Same as SOC 6300. (3-0) R POEC 6301 Political-Economic Theories (3 semester hours) A critical
analysis of theories of politics and economy. Focuses on such thinkers as
Smith, Marx, and Keynes, and on bodies of theory about political and economic
systems. Explores the controversies that have shaped the development of
political economy and their implications for interdisciplinary policy analysis.
(3-0) Y POEC 6303 Etiology of Crime and Criminality (3 semester hours) Examines
the history of criminological thought incorporating the major works of such
theorists as Bentham, Beccaria,
Marx, Durkheim, Lombroso,
Shaw and McKay, Sutherland, Becker, and Merton. Same as SOC 6303. (3-0) R POEC 6304 Advanced Analytic Techniques (3 semester hours) This course
prepares students to use advanced methods in economic and policy analysis.
Topics include matrices and matrix operations, input-output analysis, the
Cobb-Douglas production function and linear programming. (3-0) T POEC 6305 Law and Social Control (3 semester hours) Examines and
analyses the various means by which society attempts to control the deviant and
criminal conduct of its members. Same as SOC 6302. (3-0) R POEC 6307 Extent of Crime and Criminals (3 semester hours) Provides an
analysis of crime, criminals, and the reaction of the criminal justice systems
to both. Same as SOC 6301. (3-0) R POEC 6308 Victimology (3 semester hours)
Examines risks and consequences of crime for its victims. Issues considered
include victim-offender relationships, characteristics of victims, the nature
of the injuries they experience, and criminal justice procedures that involve
them. Same as SOC 6308. (3-0) R POEC 6309 Communities and Crime (3 semester hours) Examines the trends
and sources of crime and social disorder across communities. The course emphasizes
relationships among crime, fear of crime, neighborhood change, neighborhood
responses to crime, and public policies. Same as SOC 6309. (3-0) R POEC 6310 Delinquency and Juvenile Justice (3 semester hours) Examines
youth crime, child victimization, and juvenile justice. Students learn the
processes by which specific behaviors are identified as delinquent, the
historical evolution of juvenile justice, and current policies and practices.
Same as SOC 6310. (3-0) R POEC 6311 Crime and Justice Policy (3 semester hours) An introduction to
crime and the efforts to control crime through public policy. Same as SOC 6305.
(3-0) R POEC 6312 Social-Economic Theories (3 semester hours) A critical
analysis of theories of society and economy. These include class, culture,
solidarity, rational choice, transaction cost theory, principal agent theory,
ideology and hegemony, network theory, collective action, bureaucracy, and
American exceptionalism. Same as SOC 6312 (3-0) Y POEC 6313 Corrections (3 semester hours) Examines the history, forms,
and functions of correctional philosophies, institutions, programs, and
policies. Topics include the structure and functions of prisons and jails,
community corrections, intermediate sanctions, and the growth of correctional
control in modern society. Same as SOC 6313. (3-0) R POEC 6314 Policing (3 semester hours) Provides historical, social and
political analysis of the roles and functions of policing in America. Same as SOC 6314. (3-0) R POEC 6315 Violent Crime (3 semester hours) Examines the sources and
patterns of violent offending across time and space. Topics include conceptions
and typologies of violent crimes and offenders, victim-offender relationships,
and efforts to predict and control violent offending. (3-0) R POEC 6316 Proseminar in Quantitative Methods
(3 semester hours) Focuses on quantitative methodological techniques as they
are employed in the substantive journal literature of political economy.
Integrates policy data analysis and research design. (3-0) Y POEC 6317 Courts (3 semester hours) Examines the objectives,
institutions and processes involved in the adjudication of offenders. Topics
address the structure and function of the judicial system and principal court
actors. Same as SOC 6317. (3-0) R POEC 6318 Structural Equation and Multilevel (Hierarchical) Modeling (3
semester hours) An introduction to structural equation modeling (SEM) and
multilevel modeling (MLM), sometimes called hierarchical linear or mixed
modeling. SEM represents a general approach to the statistical examination of
the fit of a theoretical model to empirical data. Topics include observed
variable (path) analysis, latent variable models (e.g., confirmatory factor
analysis), and latent variable SEM analyses. MLM represents a general approach
to handling data that are nested within each other or have random components.
Topics include dealing with two-level data that may be cross-sectional, such as
students within classes, or longitudinal, such as repeated observations on
individuals, firms or countries.† POEC
5316 or equivalent recommended. (3-0) RPOEC 6320 Organizational Theory (3 semester hours) Focuses on
bureaucracy and rationality, formal and informal structures, and the role of
the environment. Organizational factors such as technology, power, information,
and culture, as well as the implications of organizational theory for public
policy are examined. Same as PA 6320, PSCI 6320 and SOC 6320 (3-0) T POEC 6322 Crime Prevention (3 semester hours) Examines situational,
social, and legislative approaches to the prevention of crime and delinquency.
Emphasis on theories, protective factors, implementation and consequences of
these approaches. Same as SOC 6322. (3-0) R POEC 6324 Correlates of Crime and Justice (3 semester hours) . Examines
the nature of relationships among attributes and indices at the individual,
situational, and aggregate levels to various forms of crime and systems of
justice. Same as SOC 6324. (3-0) R POEC 6325 Decision Theory (3 semester hours) Explores the development of
decision-making models and theories across organizational and institutional
environments. Includes detailed analysis of decision-making under conditions of
certainty, risk, and uncertainty. Serves as the theoretical foundation to POEC
6326 Decision Tools. Same as PA 6325 and PSCI 6325 (3-0) T POEC 6331 Executives, Legislatures, and Public Policy (3 semester hours)
An investigation of the role played by executives and legislatures in shaping
public policy in the United States. Same as PSCI 6331 (3-0) T POEC 6332 GIS Applications in Criminology (3 semester hours) Examines
spatial distributions of crime, criminals, and criminal justice interventions.
Students conduct spatial analysis of point patterns and area-based data in
studies of the locations of crime events and rates, offenders, police
patrolling practices, judicial districts and community corrections and how they
relate to physical and social characteristics of neighborhoods. Same as GISC
6332 (3-0) R POEC 6335 Institutions and Development (3 semester hours) An overview of
leading theories, institutional perspectives, issues and policy debates
concerning urban, regional, national and global development. Topics may include
economic growth, technology and innovation, shifts in industrial structure, spatially
imbalanced change, and their welfare consequences. Same as PSCI 6335 (3-0) T POEC 6336 Bureaucracy and Public Policy (3 semester hours) Examination
of processes involved in arriving at administrative decisions within the
structure of the regime. Reciprocal ties of influence and control between
official organizations and other public and private organizational actors, as
well as organizational dynamics such as communication, power, and decision
making in administrative agencies. Same as PSCI 6336 (3-0) T POEC 6337 Comparative Institutions (3 semester hours) A comparative
analysis of political and economic institutions in different cultural settings.
Includes a consideration of different theoretical approaches to the comparative
study of institutions. Same as PSCI 6337 (3-0) T POEC 6338 Program Design (3 semester hours) Concentrates on the parts of
professional practice that begin where analysis ends. Explores wide array of
ideas in linguistics, literature, psychology, theater, architecture, and the Social
Sciences that encourage rigor and creativity in the design of public policies,
programs, and projects. Same as PA 6338 (3-0) T POEC 6340 Qualitative Criminology (3 semester hours) Examines
ethnography and other qualitative approaches to studying crime, criminals, and
criminal justice, particularly participant observation and informant and
respondent interviewing. Topics include phenomenology, case study, in-depth
interviewing, ethnomethodology, conversation
analysis, historical methods, gaining access, sampling, data collection and
analysis, and legal and ethical concerns. (3-0) R POEC 6341 Urban Development (3 semester hours) Presents methods and
models for understanding urban processes. Topics include analysis of urban
growth, land use patterns, transportation and local public good delivery
systems. Welfare consequences of various urban policy options are explored.
Same as ECO 6371 and SOC 6341 3-0) Y POEC 6342 Research Design II (3 semester hours) This course is the
second in a two-course sequence devoted to the study of data development
strategies and techniques to facilitate effective statistical analysis. Topics
generally covered include: the logic of causal inquiry and inference in the
Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, the elaboration paradigm and model specification, anticipating
and handling threats to internal validity, hierarchies of design structure
(experimental, quasi-experimental and non-experimental): linking design
structure to effect estimation strategies and analyzing design elements in
published literature. Students will be required to select a research topic in
consultation with the instructor and prepare a written comparative design
analysis. POEC 5310, POEC 5311, POEC 5316 or equivalents recommended.† (3-0) Y POEC 6344 Categorical and Limited Dependent Variables (3 semester hours)
This course examines several types of advanced regression models that are
frequently used in policy analysis and social science research. The key
similarity of these models is that they involve dependent variables that violate
one or more of the assumptions of the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression
model. The main models examined in the course are binary logit
and probit, multinomial logit,
ordinal probit, tobit, and
the family of Poisson regression models. All these models are estimated using
maximum likelihood estimation (MLE). The Heckman correction for selection is
also addressed.† POEC 5316 or the
equivalent recommended. (3-0) Y POEC 6345 Survey Research (3 semester hours) This
course exposes students to the use of survey methods in social science
research. Emphasis is placed on interview and questionnaire techniques and the
construction and sequencing of survey questions. Attention is also devoted to
sampling theory, sampling and non-sampling errors, and the use of recent
advances in fieldwork to reduce measurement error in surveys. POEC 5312 and
POEC 5313 recommended. (3-0) RPOEC 6346 Qualitative Research Methods (3 semester hours) this course
provides an overview of qualitative research in the Economic, Political and Policy Sciences. Students
will investigate the assumptions underlying qualitative research approaches and
critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of such approaches. Possible
topics may include participant observation, ethnographic interviewing, ethnomethodology, conversation analysis, case study, and
the analysis of historical documents. Same as SOC 6360 (3-0) T POEC 6348 Drugs and Crime (3 semester hours) This course provides
students with a survey of the historical context of the legislative initiatives
that have been attempted to combat the use of drugs, the relationship between
drug use/abuse and crime, and the public policy problems surrounding the
control of drugs. (3-0) R

POEC 6350 Social Stratification (3 semester hours)
This seminar will examine the major theories and lines of research on social
stratification, defined as the hierarchical ranking of groups based on the
unequal distribution of societal resources and positions. Focusing primarily on
the U.S.
class system, topics covered include: class reproduction and mobility, the
educational system and policy, empirical definitions, the implications of race
and gender for social class, and forms of legitimation.
Same as SOC 6350 (3-0) YPOEC 6352 Evaluation Research Methods in the Economic, Political and Policy Sciences (3 semester
hours) A review of research methods used in program evaluation, with an
emphasis on public and nonprofit social programs. Issues to be addressed
include research design, appropriate performance standards, measurement and
selection of indicators, sampling, data collection, and data analysis. Same as
SOC 6352 and PA 6352. (3-0) T POEC 6353 Industry, Technology, and Science Policy (3 semester hours)
Focuses on the impact of social, economic, and political factors on industry as
critical units of production, and how these interact with technology and
science. Topics include availability of skilled labor, research and development
in industry, business-university relationships, innovation, and international
competitiveness of the U.S.
economy. Same as ECO 6362 (3-0) T POEC 6354 Theories and Issues of Development (3 semester hours) In
approaching development, there is an important interaction between theories and
issues, each to some extent defining the other.†
This course will review a number of prominent instances in which we see
this interaction-where theory has shaped the way people defined and approached
practical problems and also where pressing practical problems have sometimes
demanded new theoretical developments.†
Specific theories and issues discussed vary.† Possible theories of interest include
arguments for and against slavery, mercantilism, the idea of economic
ďtakeoff,Ē central planning versus pluralism, and the role of democracy and
human rights.† Issues include labor
conditions, urban living conditions, population growth and population quality,
environmental pollution and sustainability, and governmental ineffectiveness
and corruption. (3-0) T

†POEC 6360 World Political Economy (3 semester hours) An overview of the
major social, political, economic, and cultural forces that influence the
nature of international political and economic relations. Same as ECO 6352
(3-0) T POEC 6362 Political Development (3 semester hours) This course will
survey different perspectives and theories of political development. Topics
covered include the role of the state, democratization, political stability,
civil society and environmental concerns, among others. Same as PSCI 6362 (3-0)
T POEC 6364 Development Economics (3 semester hours) An overview of
theories of national economic growth and development, with emphasis on
economy-wide modeling, application of micro-economic theories, and domestic sectoral policy. Same as ECO 6351. (3-0) R†POEC 6366 International Economics (3 semester hours) The course focuses
on international trade theory and the ongoing process of regional integration
in the Americas,
with particular emphasis on the North American Free Trade Agreement. (3-0) T POEC 6368 Population and Development (3 semester hours) Examines the relations
among population, resources, economic development, and the environment in light
of conflicting Malthusian and anti-Malthusian paradigms. Topics include
fertility, mortality, public health, human capital, use of resources, and
environmental impacts at local, regional, and global scales. Same as SOC 6368
and ECO 6358. (3-0) T POEC 6379 Special Topics in Development Studies (3 semester hours)
Topics vary from semester to semester. (May be repeated for credit to a maximum
of 9 hours. However, MPA or doctoral students may not take more than 3 hours of
their concentration requirement from POEC 6379 and POEC 6376.) (3-0) T POEC 6V76 Policy Research Workshop in Development Studies (3-9 semester
hours) Students join a faculty member in a group research project. Topics vary
from semester to semester. However, students may substitute an individual Field
Research Project for this workshop; the project must be approved by the faculty
of the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences. (May be repeated for
credit to a maximum of 12 hours. However, MPA or doctoral students may not take
more than 3 hours of their concentration requirement from POEC 6376 and POEC
6379.) Prerequisites: POEC 6341, POEC 6364, and an additional course in the
concentration. ([3-9]-0) T POEC 6V81 Special Topics in Political Economy (1-9 semester hours)
Topics vary from semester to semester. May be repeated for credit as topics
vary. ([1-9]-0) S POEC 6V91 Evaluation Research (3-6 semester hours)
Individual or group project in evaluation research performed for a public or
private community organization under faculty supervision. Students will
normally enroll in this course for two consecutive semesters. The first
semester of enrollment will culminate in the completion of a formal evaluation
research proposal; the second will end with a final research report based on
conclusions of the proposed research. Permission of the program coordinator
required. May be repeated for a total of six semester credit hours. ([3-6]-0). Y POEC 7300 Advances in Criminology Theory (3 semester
hours) This course examines the contemporary criminological theory literature
and analyzes the degree to which research has provided empirical support and
validation for explanations of crime and criminality.† POEC 6303 and POEC 6324 recommended. (3-0) TPOEC 7301 Seminar in Criminology Research (3 semester hours) Students
plan and execute and independent research project from research design through
data collection and analysis of quantitative or qualitative data.† POEC 5312, POEC 5313, POEC 5316, POEC 6307
and POEC 6324 recommended. (3-0) RPOEC 7304 Cost-Benefit Analysis (3 semester hours) Examines methods for
measuring costs and benefits of public projects and policies, and the
application of cost-benefit analysis to areas such as economic development,
water resources, recreation, transportation, regulation, and the environment.
Same as ECO 6325. (3-0) T POEC 7319 Economics of Education (3 semester hours) This seminar
examines a number of important educational policy questions. To provide a basis
for the discussion of these questions, members of the seminar read a common set
of theoretical and empirical writings relating to educational policy. The
issues considered will include the link between educational achievement and
earnings, the role of early childhood, assessments of head start and pre-school
programs, the effectiveness of compensatory education and tutoring programs,
the large and persistent achievement gap between children from minority and
low-income families and those from middle-income Asian and white families, a
critical examination of educational production functions, the extent and
consequences of school segregation, bilingual education programs, special
education programs, international comparisons of student achievement and
schools, school finance and an examination of various school reform proposals.
Same as ECO 6336. (3-0) T POEC 7320 International Negotiations (3 semester hours) This course
examines both the substance and the process of international negotiations.
Students study the theory and analysis of negotiations and identify issues,
interests and positions of the parties. The course covers the substantive areas
of arms control, trade, and environmental negotiations. The course moves from
the analysis of simple, bilateral negotiations with only a few issues in contention
to complex multilateral negotiations. Same As PSCI 7320. (3-0) R POEC 7321 Seminar on Business and Government (3 semester hours) Examines
the interactions between markets and the state from a comparative and public
policy perspective. Special emphasis will be placed on issues involving
industry regulation/deregulation, antitrust/competition, innovation/industrial
policy, infrastructure investment, intellectual property, social regulation,
and global trade/investment. (3-0) Y POEC 7323 Economic Regulation of Business (3 semester hours) Studies the
rationale for, and the history and political-economic results of, government
intervention in markets in the form of (1) direct regulation of prices,
quantity, entry and exit, and product quality in industries (utility,
communication, and transportation), and (2) indirect intervention through
antitrust laws and the regulation of advertising. Government deregulation and
changes in antitrust institutions also are explored. Same as ECO 6343. (3-0) T POEC 7327 Innovation Dynamics and Economic Change (3 semester hours)
Examines the convergence of the information technology and telecom industries.
Explores the role of technological innovation together with economic,
institutional, and legal-regulatory issues shaping the new IT-Telecom industry
within both domestic and geopolitical contexts. Same as ECO 6345. (3-0) T POEC 7329 Special Topics in Industry and Public Policy (3 semester
hours) Topics vary from semester to semester. (May be repeated for credit to a
maximum of 9 hours. However, MPA or doctoral students may not take more than 3
hours of their concentration requirement from POEC 7329 and POEC 7345.) Same as
ECO 7331. (3-0) T POEC 7330 Special Topics in Institutions and Processes (3 semester
hours) Topics vary from semester to semester. (May be repeated for credit to a
maximum of 9 hours. However, MPA or doctoral students may not take more than 3
hours of the concentration requirement from POEC 7330 and POEC 7326.) (3-0) T POEC 7340 Domestic Social Policy (3 semester hours) Overview of
governmental and nongovernmental programs, policies, and institutions dealing
with those who cannot function self-sufficiently within the American market
economy, including low-income families, the elderly, the unemployed, and people
with disabilities. Analyzes how social policy in the United States reflects the
political economy and culture, as well as social and demographic trends. Same
as SOC 6340. (3-0) Y POEC 7341 Health Policy (3 semester hours) The history and political economy
of the U.S. health care system and a review of major governmental programs to
expand access to appropriate services, control rising costs, ensure the quality
of care, and promote health through prevention. Analysis of current and recent
proposals for reform of health care policy. Same as SOC 6357. (3-0) Y POEC 7344 Gender and Public Policy (3 semester hours) Explores issues of
gender and public policy in the U.S. Topics include gender critiques of welfare
state policy, gender and poverty, women in the military, the politics (and
political economy) of sex and sexuality, anti-sexual harassment policies. Same
as PSCI 7344 and SOC 7344. (3-0) R POEC 7359 Special Topics in Policy Methods (3 semester hours) Topics
vary from semester to semester. (May be repeated for credit to a maximum of 9
hours.) (3-0) R POEC 7361 Spatial Econometrics (3 semester hours) The application of
econometric techniques to the explicit treatment of space (geography) in social
science models. Covers the specification of spatial regression models,
estimation and specification testing. The emphasis is on the application of
spatial econometric methods to an empirical data analysis project.
Prerequisite: POEC 5331. Same as GISC 7361 Spatial Statistics. (3-0) R

POEC 7368† Spatial Epidemiology (3 semester hours) Examines the conceptual and analytic tools used to understand how spatial distributions of exposure impact on processes and patterns of disease. Emphasizes the special design, measurement, and analysis issues associated with spatial patterns of diseases. Contemporary diseases of public health importance are addressed, and the statistical and inferential skills are provided that can be used in understanding how spatial patterns arise and their implications for intervention. Prerequisite: descriptive and inferential statistics through regression analysis. Same as GISC 7368 and PA 7368. (3-0) RPOEC 7370 Time Series Analysis (3 semester hours) The course considers several important topics in applied time series analysis including the specification and testing Box-Jenkins transfer function/intervention models. Other topics include pooled cross-sectional time series models, VAR, the LSE Approach, unit-roots, cointegration, error correction models, encompassing and exogeneity tests, and ARFIMA models. Students also learn how to use programs such as Eviews and RATS. Same as ECO 6315. (3-0) R POEC 7376 Special Topics in Social Policy (3 semester hours) Topics vary from semester to semester. (May be repeated for credit to a maximum of 9 hours. MPA or doctoral students may not take more than 3 hours of their concentration requirement from policy research workshops and POEC 7376.) (3-0) T POEC 7V26 Policy Research Workshop in Institutions and Processes (3-9 semester hours) Students join a faculty member in a group research project on the political economy of public policy decisions in the context of institutional settings, such as legislatures, executive or administrative agencies, courts, or metropolitan systems. (May be repeated for credit to a maximum of 6 hours.† Same as PA 7V26)† ([3-9]-0) T POEC 7V45 Policy Research Workshop in Industry and Public Policy (3-9 semester hours) Students join a faculty member in a group research project. Topics vary from semester to semester. (May be repeated for credit to a maximum of 6 hours. Same as PA 7V45. ([3-9]-0) T POEC 7V47 Policy Research Workshop in Health Care Policy (3-9 semester hours) Students join a faculty member in a group research project. (May be repeated for credit to a maximum of 12 hours. MPA or doctoral students may not take more than 3 hours of their concentration requirement from policy research workshops and POEC 7376.)† Same as PA 7V47 ([3-9]-0) T POEC 7V62 Policy Research Workshop in Social Policy (3-9 semester hours) Students join a faculty member in a group research project. (May be repeated for credit to a maximum of 6 hours.† Same as PA 7V62. ([3-9]-0) T POEC 7V64 Policy Research Workshop in Poverty Research and Policy (3-9 semester hours) Students join a faculty member in a group research project. (May be repeated for credit to a maximum of 6 hours).† Same as PA 7V64 ([3-9]-0) T POEC 8398 Dissertation Seminar (3 semester hours) A seminar for students preparing proposals or writing dissertations. Prerequisite: Successful completion of qualifying examination or consent of instructor. (May be repeated for credit.) (3-0) S POEC 8V01 Independent Study (1-9 semester hours) Provides faculty supervision for studentís individual study of a topic agreed upon by the student and the faculty supervisor. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. (May be repeated for credit.) ([1-9]-0) R